Local Stories

Trips we keep telling people about

First-person stories from Maquoketa and around Jackson County: caves, barn concerts, river towns, back roads and a Main Street worth a whole weekend.

Hurstville Lime Kilns

The Stone That Helped Build the Midwest

A short stop with a big story at the Hurstville Lime Kilns, just north of Maquoketa.

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Scenic drives

Take the Long Way: Jackson County by Country Road

A half day on the Grant Wood Scenic Byway, where the point is to stop counting miles.

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Sabula

An Afternoon on Iowa’s Only Island

Sabula is surrounded by water and in no hurry. I came for the novelty and stayed for the pace.

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Bellevue

I Gave Bellevue a Whole Day and Still Wanted More River

A slow day beside the Mississippi, from the waterfront to the top of the bluff and back again.

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Codfish Hollow

The Best Concert I’ve Seen Was in a Barn at the End of a Gravel Road

A night at Codfish Hollow, outside Maquoketa, where the bus ride from a cow pasture is part of the show.

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Maquoketa Caves

Two Hours Underground (My Jeans Didn’t Make It)

A first visit to Maquoketa Caves State Park, from the easy walk through Dancehall Cave to the openings that had me on my hands and knees.

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Downtown Maquoketa

48 Hours on Main Street (I Didn’t Plan to Buy a Lamp)

A slow weekend in downtown Maquoketa: coffee, a 53-booth vendor mall, two galleries, a brewery and a black box theater, all within a few blocks of each other.

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